Vulvodynia: Toward Understanding a Pain Syndrome

In April 2003, the NICHD, the NIH Office of Research on Women's Health, and the NIH Office of Rare Diseases held a workshop on vulvodynia (defined as chronic vulvar discomfort characterizes by complaints of burning, stinging, irritation, and rawness) and related pain syndromes. This 40-page report describes the workshop and the topics discussed, including epidemiology, areas for discovery, basic science, the science of pain, and therapies and therapeutics.